Did A’ja Wilson steal Caitlin Clark’s thunder? Internet discourse around Nike signature shoe controversy

Nike announced A'ja Wilson's signature shoe after fans demanded they give her the first instead of then WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark.

Did A’ja Wilson steal Caitlin Clark’s thunder? Internet discourse around Nike signature shoe controversy

WNBA superstars A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark

When Caitlin Clark was in the final days with the University of Iowa, Nike constantly promoting her had fans believing the sneaker giant was readying a signature shoe. However, that belief dampened down soon as it became evident that the company was prioritizing a shoe for A’ja Wilson.

That came about after a section of fans lit up social media demanding that the WNBA’s best player get a shoe before a rookie. That discourse continued to get fueled by rumors that many players in the league were unhappy with the high levels of attention that same rookie was receiving.

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They felt she had done nothing to garner all that fame, whereas they have been slogging hard to make a name for themselves. Nike did not say anything, but soon they along with Wilson announced that her signature shoe was on the way.

Now those fans were satisfied and happy that a black woman was getting a shoe before a white rookie. They were also happy that Nike helped them win the argument that A’ja Wilson deserved the endorsement, not Clark.

A couple of days ago, footwear industry insider Nick DePaula shared a video where the Las Vegas Aces superstar apparently told him that she had kept the shoe a secret from her family. That too for the two whole years it was under development.

This revelation though, ticked fans off. His posts mostly garner less than 100K views. This post though, garnered over 1.9 million views and has nearly 200 comments. Most of them are saying the same thing, that A’ja Wilson did not do right by Caitlin Clark.

A’ja Wilson blocks social media after fans amp up the heat

What fans caught on was that A’ja Wilson knew about the sneaker all this while. At the same time, she played the victim card of not getting the fame an unproven white rookie was receiving. Fans believe the reigning league MVP continued to use that discourse all throughout the season.

Her comments about having to work twice as hard to gain recognition, or about her blood boiling whenever she was playing in Indiana, etc. All of those comments at the time kept a major part of the fanbase tilted to her side.

Even if there was an NDA, she could have said something differently to avoid the majority of the black population from hating on Caitlin Clark. Even NBA legends asked for the WNBA veterans to stop being petty towards the rookie.

But fans now feel the Las Vegas Aces superstar intentionally benefitted out of that discourse. Now fans have been throwing enough heat at her that Wilson has had to block her X account. Her account is still active, but not available for public viewing.

A'ja Wilson locked her X profile from public view
A’ja Wilson locked her X profile from public view (Image via SS)

That also puts a lid on fans tagging her on comments. From what most of those fans are saying, it seems as if A’ja Wilson intentionally stole Caitlin Clark’s thunder, at least in those initial months. Now, the situation is different as Clark has leapfrogged everyone in the fame ladder.

Her signature shoe is currently being developed. At the same time, Wilson is about to see her shoe, The A’One, hit shelves in a few months. She has been giving out pairs to those close to her. Now Nike will be waiting to see if the discourse they are a part of, plays out in terms of sales.